“The Secret Agent” triumphs at Cannes 2025 with awards for Best Director and Best Actor.
26 May 2025
“The Secret Agent”, a politically charged thriller of extraordinary intensity, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho (director of Bacurau and Aquarius) and starring the incredible Wagner Moura (Civil War, Narcos), wins the awards for Best Director and Best Actor at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival!
International critics have recognized it as one of the most significant films of the year (The Hollywood Reporter).
In 1977, in a Brazil still torn by military dictatorship, the story of Marcelo (Wagner Moura) unfolds. A forty-year-old teacher, leaving behind a troubled past, arrives in the city of Recife with hopes of building a new life and reconnecting with his family. However, he soon realizes that the city is far from the idyllic refuge he imagined, revealing itself instead as an unsettling and oppressive reality. A visually powerful work, rich in pathos and formal precision, reaffirming Mendonça Filho as one of the most authoritative and courageous voices in contemporary cinema.
We are thrilled to share the national and international press reviews, which reflect the film’s acclaimed reception at the Cannes Film Festival:
“A richly layered epic about a man trying to escape 1970s Brazil — or die trying.” — IndieWire
“Wagner Moura is a man marked for death in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s magnificent 1970s thriller.” — Variety
“A beautiful, gripping, sensual film, full of palpable love for cinema.” — The Playlist
Five stars also from Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian!
Coming soon to Italy with Minerva Pictures, which renews its commitment to promoting great international auteur cinema.
